Visiting Bryce Canyon National Park

After a fifty-mile drive from Escalante to Bryce Canyon, we found ourselves on the Paunsaugunt Plateau in the town of Bryce.  One would never know a deep canyon or “hole in the ground” can be seen a few miles away, as Bryce Canyon was once referred to in 1916 by a local from the town of Tropic.  

Area History:

In 1916, Ruby and Minnie Syrett established a ranch near Bryce Canyon.  New to the area, and not knowing they settled a few miles from a canyon, a visitor from Tropic asked if they had even seen the canyon.  They had not, so one day they ventured out for a look.  After seeing the stunning beauty of the canyon, they began to tell everyone they met about it.

In 1919, they began accepting visitors to the rim.  At first, they set up tents along the canyon rim, and one year later, they built a lodge near Sunset Point called Tourist Rest.  When Bryce Canyon became a national monument in 1923, Ruby moved the lodge to his ranch and named it Ruby’s Inn.  The lodge was lost to a fire in 1984, but the Ruby family rebuilt and Ruby’s Inn still welcomes guests today.  As you approach Bryce Canyon City, you can see the impact Ruby’s family has had in this town.  Today you will find Ruby’s Inn, Ruby’s campground, Ruby’s General Store, Ruby’s Inn Rodeo Grounds, shops, restaurants, and a gas station.  You can also get the Bryce Canyon National Park Shuttle bus in town.   

Bryce Canyon National Park:

Bryce Canyon National Park is known for the hoodoos that highlight years of erosion from rain, freezing temperatures, and warm summers.  Over time the elements erode the forever-changing landscape.  No other area highlights this more than the six square miles known as the Bryce Amphitheater.  Hoodoos are the center of attention in the heart of the park.  This is the beauty Ruby and Minnie wanted to share, and I understand why. 

As you make your way into the park and after passing the fee station, the Visitors Center will be immediately on the right.  Here, as with many National Parks, you will find the Gift Shop, restrooms, and Park Rangers, where you can ask specific questions regarding the park.  If your time in the park is limited, stop and speak with the Park Rangers.  They can recommend the best hikes or things to do based on the amount of time you have.   

Head directly to Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration, or Bryce Point and make your way to the overlooks for your first view of the Bryce Amphitheater.  An expansive view of hoodoos and their colors will leave you speechless.  You must visit this area during a sunrise or sunset to witness the changing light as it highlights the hoodoos colors and canyon walls~it will take your breath away!  Walk a portion of the Rim Trail, a 5.5-mile trail that starts at Fairyland Point and goes to Bryce Point.  As the name implies, the trail runs along the canyon rim, providing views of the Bryce Amphitheater.  I would recommend hiking the Rim Trail between Sunrise Point and Inspiration Point, and then continuing to Bryce Point.  For sunset, we took in the views from Bryce Point and Paria View and captured the photos below.

A hike into the canyon should be on your to-do list.  Start at Sunset Point and hike the Navajo Trail into the canyon to Queen Victoria.  From here, take the Queen’s Garden Trail and head up and out of the canyon to Sunrise Point.  This is a 2.3-mile hike that drops 521 feet into the canyon and then climbs 320 feet out, thus the suggestion of starting at Sunset Point.  We hiked this in May, and even though the Navajo Trail was closed, there was an alternative route that takes you past Two Bridges.  This hike provides great views of Thor’s Hammer, Queen Victoria, and hoodoos the entire way.  As you hike through the canyon, you pick up the scents of Douglas firs in the canyon.  Steller’s Jays will be hanging out in nearby trees waiting for you to drop your snack when you take a break.  I highly recommend this trial.  It will not disappoint!

In addition to the above-referenced hike, we hiked the Fairyland Loop Trail to Tower Bridge, starting at the Rim Trail near Sunrise Point.  Along this hike you will pass the Chinese Wall.  It is a 3-mile round trip hike with a drop of 950 feet of elevation.  Be prepared and do not forget you have to climb that 950 feet on your return.  The other option is to continue on the Fairyland Loop trail 6.5-miles to Fairyland Point.  There is no shuttle stop at Fairyland Point so if you are thinking about continuing, be prepared to hike the rim trail back to Sunrise Point! 

As the park offers a free shuttle bus, you can hop on at any bus stop and take it back to your starting location.  Be sure to take note of the various shuttle locations before your hike.  This is very convenient if you are exhausted after making your way out of the canyon at a different point from where you started. 

One can easily spend an entire day exploring the Bryce Amphitheater section of the park.  Should you get hungry exploring the area, the General Store and the Bryce Canyon Lodge both offer meal options.  The Lodge offers a formal dining experience, while the General Store offers a casual setting with a gift shop.  I visited this park in 2016 and enjoyed a family lunch at the Bryce Canyon Lodge.  It truly was a memorable experience, one I will always treasure.  However, with Covid, a lot has changed.  My wife and I considered dining here during our recent visit, but the dining experience did not look pleasant.  There was no table service, no menus, no formal plate settings, or silverware.  The only option was prepackaged meals in a to-go container and choosing a table in the dining room with no table service.  It would not be the memorable experience I had hoped for, so we opted not to dine here.  If they return to the pre-Covid dining experience, I would recommend stopping for lunch.    

Drive out to Rainbow Point, the furthest point in the park, and hike the 1-mile Bristlecone Loop Trail.  It is about a 16-mile drive from Sunset Point and will take about 30 minutes to reach.  As you make your way there, you will pass six overlooks, each with magnificent views of hoodoos.  Stop at Natural Bridge for this view.

Bryce Canyon is one of Earth’s darkest places.  Enjoy the views of the night sky without light pollution.  Stargazing is a favorite activity for many visitors.  Consider a Dark Rangers guided moonlight hike if you happen to be in the park during a full moon.  I have not had the pleasure of doing this, but I can imagine it would be a great experience.       

This park has so much to offer year-round.  The park sits at an elevation of 8,000-9,000 feet at the highest points, and evening temperatures can get pretty cool.  The Winter months can bring snow, so check the temperatures before planning your visit.  During our stay, the second week in May, nighttime temperatures dropped to 25 degrees. 

Given the size, the number of overlooks, and hiking trails in this park, a single-day visit will leave you wishing you had more time.  

Nearby Adventures:

We wanted to make the most of our visit to Bryce Canyon so we stayed five nights at Ruby’s Campground.  From here, we took a day trip to Red Canyon Visitor Center, 12-miles away.  We hiked several trails from the Visitor Center enjoying views of hoodoos and the canyon.  We hiked along some steep slopes providing a unique experience on narrow trails.  One worth taking is Birdseye Trail.  We spent about 2 hours exploring this area.

As we made our way to Red Canyon, we noticed a bike path from town that ran along Highway 12 to Thunder Mountain Trailhead in Red Canyon.  After doing some additional research, I discovered this is a shared trail that ends in the National Park at Inspiration Point, a total of 18 miles.  If you have a bike, this might be of interest.  Learn more here.  

We also took time to visit the Mossy Cave trailhead and the town of Tropic.  Mossy Cave is a short hike that leads to a small waterfall.  The trail provides views of hoodoos as you walk along The Tropic Ditch stream.  Much to our surprise, water was flowing over the falls.  It had been pretty dry in spring, so we did not expect this.  Having completed this hike in less than an hour, we headed 4 miles south to explore the town of Tropic.

Tropic is a charming town located along Scenic Byway 12.  You will find a Country Store, several hotels, and several restaurants.  As it was lunchtime, we checked out our options on Google maps and i.d.k. Barbecue came up with 4.5 stars with over 800 reviews.  Decision made.  We enjoyed our meal while taking in the local atmosphere.  From here, we walked over to the Country Market and then headed to Bryce Canyon Coffee for an iced mocha and a coffee Carmel muffin, which we enjoyed on their outdoor patio.